


A Place Where You And I Can Stay

by HayamaRei



Series: It's Camp Camp [1]
Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Max doesn't hate everything he says he does, Max finally opens up, Sort of? - Freeform, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-28
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2018-08-18 08:05:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8155076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HayamaRei/pseuds/HayamaRei
Summary: It's the final day of camping and everyone is getting ready to leave. Everyone but Max.





	

David looked around with a wistful smile. The end of another summer, everyone was getting ready to go. Most kids looked happy to be leaving, but David knew deep down that they’d all enjoyed camping. How could they not? Camping was great! They would miss it as soon as they were back amongst the business and technology of the city, he was sure of it. 

Out of habit he ran a mental check on everyone and was surprised to see that Max wasn’t there. Nikki and Neil were standing by the flagpole talking animatedly but their friend was missing. David had thought Max would be the one most excited to leave the camp. Feeling like something was off he decided to go and look for the black haired boy.

David found Max in the boy’s tent. He was sitting on the bed, facing away from the entrance, just staring at his hands and while David was more than used to seeing him in a less than cheerful mood, the air around the kid was off in many ways. 

“I thought you’d be happy to be finally leaving,” the counselor said in his usual voice as a way of announcing his presence. Max tensed up for a second but then he relaxed again and simply shrugged, eyes not leaving his hands. David frowned and tried again. “Don’t you want to say goodbye to Neil and Nikki?”

“We already did that yesterday.” Max’s voice was quiet and void of any emotion. Not even the irritation that undertoned most of his words was there. 

“Max, is there something wrong?” David asked, stepping further into the tent. It might be the last day of camp but it was his duty to make sure everyone was okay until the last kid left the place. 

Max looked up at that, eyes searching for David’s for a second before looking away almost immediately. “No, everything is peachy. I just don’t want to be part of the teary goodbyes and all that sappy crap. It’s stupid.”

Oh, so that’s what it was all about. Max was sad about leaving. David grinned. “There’s nothing shameful in missing your friends!” He pointed out cheerfully. “Don’t be sad, I’m sure they’ll still keep in touch after you leave!” 

Max’s eyes snapped up again and this time the irritation was back full force, even stronger than before. “Shut the fuck up David. I don’t care about anyone in this God forsaken place, why don’t you go mind your own business?”

David’s smile fell. Just as he thought he was making progress. But it was always like that, wasn’t it? He thought he was getting closer to the real Max, past the angry façade only to have the boy get scared and pedal back into square one. But David never lost hope, he didn’t give up because he knew there was more to Max than just that. And yet there they were at the final day of the camp and David had failed. 

He heaved a sigh and nodded. There was no worth trying anymore. “Okay, Max. Goodbye.” 

He made it to leave but he had only turned around and taken a step when Max reached out and grabbed him by the vest. David turned around but the boy was staring at the ground. 

“I don’t hate the camp.” He said so quietly that David wasn’t sure he’d heard right. 

“What?”

Max took a deep breath. “I said, I don’t hate the camp.” He repeated. “I say I do because the more you pretend you don’t care about something… It eventually becomes true, doesn’t it? And what you don’t care for cannot hurt you when it’s taken away.”

“Max-”

“It’s still a stupid place. And it’s super lame but… I’d rather be here than anywhere else. Even you aren’t as bad as I say you are.” Max looked up and there were tears glistening in his eyes. It broke David’s heart to see. “Please, don’t make me go.”

Those five words and the way Max said them, it was obvious it wasn’t just that. David himself hadn’t wanted to leave the camp as a kid, but there was never the desperation behind it that was currently written all over the boy’s face. Something was wrong. Max was still clutching his vest. 

David kneeled down and reached out a hand to put on the other’s shoulder. “Is there something you need to tell me?” He didn’t know how else to ask and he was still scared that Max would retreat back to his shell at any moment. 

Max took his time answering. Emotions flied through his eyes at a hundred miles per second and he seemed to consider his words very carefully. 

“They don’t care about me.” He finally said and it surprised David how little emotion the statement itself held. It sounded like a fact and not a disturbing confession. 

David’s chest tightened and he picked his words carefully, too. “Do they… neglect you?” 

“I wish they did.”

David’s eyes widened. “Do they hit you?!”

Max regained part of his composure, enough to sneer and drop his hand back to his side. “They fucking beat the shit out of me when they’re in a crap mood.” He stated and it felt like a punch in the gut. “God, forget it, I don’t know what made me tell you. You probably don’t care. I know I wouldn’t.”

This time it was Max who tried to exit the tent but David stopped him immediately. That was what he was afraid of, and he wasn’t going to let Max shrug it off so easily. Not after everything he’d been told. “You aren’t going anywhere.” He said calmly but firmly. Max froze, tension locking his shoulders. “You’ll stay here until your parents are dealt with.”

“And then what? Foster care?”

David sighed, he knew what he was about to propose was a long shot but it wouldn’t hurt asking. “Only if you’d completely hate living with me.”

Max’s expression was unreadable, but definitely full of positive emotions, making David hopeful. “Why would you do that for me?”

“Because I do care for you, Max.” He’d thought it was obvious. Then again, nothing was obvious around Max.

Second later the boy was pulling David into a hug and the latter had to blink back tears. 

Determination bubbled inside of him. He would make sure Max was safe. That his parents got punished for their actions and that the boy was properly cared for from that moment on. He had no idea how he was going to do it but he would find a way. 

As he hugged back Max let out a watery chuckle. “You’re still a camp loving nerd.”

For once David laughed along. “Yes I am.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> Kudos and comments appreciated! ^-^


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